"Supergirl" Welcome Back, Kara (TV Episode 2021) Poster

(TV Series)

(2021)

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7/10
Welcome back Supergirl!
ldamena25 August 2021
I missed her & the super friends. I feel like this ep is gonna be divisive. I like how the writers are handling Kara's trauma which shouldn't be ignored. Yet, I think the message this ep is not gonna go down well. Then the clues of the return of a certain character---- boy! Lol. Still enjoyable watching Kara with her father & her friends. This ep is what Supergirl is about imo.
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6/10
I've Finally Found the Difference Between Supergirl and The Flash.
demigodshmurda26 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Supergirl, as a series, isn't very good. That being said, it's never been so agonizingly horrible that I've given up watching the show. Not even season five's "Reality Bytes" did that for me. I've considered quitting watching The Flash not once, but twice, and this time I'm not going back. That's the difference between Supergirl and The Flash. When The Flash is bad, it's always, *always*, completley garbage without fail. Supergirl has garbage episodes, sure, and their garbage is genuinely terrible, but it's never been as bad as the garbage on The Flash.

As for this episode, the first ten minutes were pretty great, then we got a bunch of nonsense for twenty five minutes, and then I was mixed on a lot of what happened after that. So pretty much, your typical Supergirl episode.

I really like that Kara's dealing with PTSD from being in the Phantom Zone. I honestly didn't think the show would go in that direction, but I'm so glad that it did. It gave Kara her first sense of relatability since... Well, ever. When your character is literally strong enough to bench press Fort Rozz (depending on the season, because sometimes she can beat Superman in a fight, and other times she has trouble breaking through webs), it's hard to make them relatable. This is a very simple, but really great way to do that. It's also a really great way for Kara to get some new character development. Kara isn't like Clark. She can't just be a static character having her morals tested, lest she be an unoriginal tokenization of a character. Kara needs development and other things to make her stand out from her cousin, and this show has managed to do that in the past, like in season four when she fought against the Children of Liberty, and literally stood as a beacon of acceptance for human and alien kind. Granted, that's also the season that stole Superman's most iconic villain, but I digress. Additionally, giving Kara PTSD from the Phantom Zone gives that story a new sense of weight it just didn't have before, and that's really great! Overall, I think this was the best part of the episode. It checked off a lot of the boxes it needed to, and was actually really well done in the episode.

That being said, I can almost guarantee that this won't last more than one episode. I'll be shocked if it does. This is the CW after all. I know what network I'm watching.

I also like how Zor-El was used here. Do I think it was a colossally stupid decision to send him off immediately at the end of the episode? Yes. I felt his character was underutilized throughout the entirety of the Phantom Zone arc, and he definitely could've stuck around until Kara inevitably goes to live on Argo City in the series finale. I thought it would've been cool to have them go together, but now we don't get that. I understood a lot of where Zor-El was coming from, honestly. He just wanted to help, and ended up making things a lot worse. I could've done without the "better, faster, cheaper" line about companies, we all know pollution is a problem, but they used that issue in a smart way here to further Zor-El's character and give a better understanding of his psyche. He basically spent the major part of his life trying to save a dying planet, so when he saw it happening to another planet, it only makes sense that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from trying to save it. He even says that he won't let Earth die, but misspeaks and says "Krypton" instead. I am sad to see the character go, I think that was way too soon in my opinion, and they could've used him and Kara fighting crime together to explore how Kara would react to having her real family fight by her side, but everything else he did in this episode was great. I'm just a little sad about the missed potential on some fronts.

The action in this episode was... Weird. I mean, they literally had the Super Friends fight a giant robot made out of garbage. It was... Well, it was dumb. There's no way around it. Superman and Lois handled their kryptonian characters in a really smart way by affecting them with kryptonite, trapping them inside their own minds, distracting them, and forcing them to fight people on a similar or greater level than them. Here, one of their characters gets their anti-kryptonite suit destroyed and is affected by kryptonite, but Zor-El just kinda chills back at the base so that the fight scene can have some stakes. That's the real issue with Supergirl as a show. They don't really have a way to keep an experienced kryptonian superhero in check. That's why the best villains of this show were in the earlier seasons. Astra and Reign challenged Kara physically, while Agent Liberty challenged Kara ideologically and created an enemy she couldn't punch, but had to disprove by just being a good person and keeping the peace. The newer seasons however have to go out of their way to create either "ancient threats" like Leviathan, or just put no effort into explaining why Kara can't punch her way out of every problem. Having Kara's anti-kryptonite suit get disabled is a good narrative device, but the way it happened was really lame. That's just me taking a deeper look into this show's fight scenes though, and doesn't really have a lot to do with this episode specifically.

I could've done without the beef Nia suddenly has with Kara and her dad spending so much time together. I get that she lost her mom, but that happened two seasons ago at this point, and it's never really been a big thing for Nia until this season. If Nia was more honestly sad about it and less bratty and whiney, I don't think I'd be able to complain about the sudden drama. However, the way she said "I'm glad they get to spend that time together" took me out of the scene a bit to be honest. I really hope this isn't a theme with the character going forward.

Andrea being worried about CatCo declining was a good way to take things and make the company still seem relevant, but it comes with a big drawback. Andrea literally caused the decline of CatCo sales by turning a respected news outlet that relied on old fashioned journalism into a glorified gossip site in the last season. She has no right to say that she didn't see this coming. She literally tore CatCo's soul out, but now she cares about her sales declining? Get out of here! She did manage to find a new subject though, and I'm actually intrigued to see where this goes. Andrea is going to have William and Kara investigate Supergirl and her "Super Friends" and try to get them to sign on with CatCo, and this is actually something interesting that's happening in the back half of this season. It might even lead to Kara's identity being leaked to the public, which then would lead to that dystopian future that we saw in the 100th episode. Okay, that second part probably won't happen, but any excuse I can get to see Sam Witwer reprising his role as Agent Liberty is something I'll look forward to. Regardless, I'm curious to how Kara would handle her identity being exposed. I honestly don't think she'd take it very well, and that's what intrigues me. She could be seen as a wolf in sheep's clothing, and then she might overreact and do something that puts civilians in harm's way. There's a lot of potential for a story there.

Also, the Central City Citizen is apparently listed as a more popular new outlet than CatCo, which is hilarious considering Iris lost her lead photographer when Cisco and Kamilla left the show, and the Citizen was never heard from again for the rest of season seven. That got me to smile just based on how ridiculous it was.

Oh yeah, and it appears that Lena Luthor is leaving with the end of this episode. Good. Last season ruined this character beyond all recognition, so I have no desire to continue seeing this character. So long, Lena. I won't miss you.

Overall, this episode could've been a lot worse. It's only really rated on the lower end because of the nonsensical action and the stuff with Lena and Nia, because barring all that, this was a really solid episode. I'm still gonna miss having Superman and Lois to look forward to on my Tuesday nights, but if Supergirl delivers more episodes like this, I think things can only improve. All they really need to do is fix some of the melodrama and nonsensical action, and give Kara a reasonable enemy to fight, but not somebody so ridiculously overpowered that the only way to beat them is with a pep talk, and I think this has potential to be the best season of the show since season four Pre-Lex. Yeah, a lot of the episodes in the Phantom Zone arc were bad or could've been easily explained out of existence, but the arc as a whole brings a lot of narrative potential to the table that the show can toy with now. One thing is for certain though: I'm looking forward to Supergirl's finale more than The Flash's finale, and I think that has something to do with the season having above average writing. Don't screw this up, CW. I'm honestly optimistic.

6 / 10.
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6/10
Is this Wall-E turns into Parasite?
davepetri5 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Great to see the team back together but what a silly storyline. I appreciate the environmental/climate change angle but sending a Kryptonian Wall-E who turns into a garbage Parasite was a wee bit silly.
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9/10
Welcome back Supergirl!
daneskamujicad25 August 2021
As a premiere/come back episode it wasn't as exciting as i thought it would be, the "villain" of the week was literally trash, but as a long time fan of the show man that was refreshing, the dialogues were fun, the new interactions between characters, Lena and Nia's bonding and Brainy x Kellex fight was hilarious. The Danvers sisters were everything.

The only bad thing was the cgi, it's just so bad.
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9/10
Perfect characterization, flawed plot
riyakataria-1466327 August 2021
This episode explores the heart of Supergirl in a compelling and direct way that we haven't really seen in a while. The acting is amazing-special kudos to Katie McGrath and ESPECIALLY to Melissa Benoist. The exploration of Kara's trauma this season is proving to be intriguing; the only reason I'm not that excited yet is because the writers have trouble with consistency.

Kara's return sparks an exploration of her relationship with all the characters, including herself. It's clear her trauma plays a central role, but the way that they incorporate Alex especially shows that the writers understand the most compelling part of their show-the relationships.

The scene with William was perfect and offers a much-needed resolution. But the best scene by far is the scene where Kara reunites with her friends (especially Lena). Kara and Lena seem to be on another level now, with their final walls now torn down. I must admit, I am heavily rooting for them to end up together by the end of the show, and this episode did little to convince me otherwise.

Kara's interactions with her father further her self-exploration. But her father was involved with the biggest issue of this episode: the plot. The garbage storyline was messy and dull, and it felt more like a shot towards commentary (which I am all for when done well) rather than an actual issue. I did appreciate how the plot leant to Zor-El's final speech to Kara, but the actual storyline itself was, frankly, boring.

Also, I have to tell everyone: Katie is not leaving. She's just away for a single episode, like Kelly was. Lena's very clearly in the final episodes, if set photographs are any indication.

All in all, enticing and exciting beginning to the final episodes of Supergirl. It's sad that it starts getting really deep when it's about to end, but I digress.

I just have one question: why did Kara lean in?
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9/10
Its good to have you back Supergirl.
mfmroca27 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Its such a shame that they were able to deliver good episodes as this but we had that awful first half of a season. Its amazing to have them all back. Supercorp reunited was such an emotional moment, the parallels and the subtle hints that they have been in touch with each other letting the other know where they at. Beautiful slow burn.
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10/10
Loved the welcome back
uunknown-612392 September 2021
Melissa and Katie were really able to portray how deep their relationship goes, with all the past hurt and love. The CGI may not be the best and maybe not the writing but the cast is absolutely perfect. They are really able to act and be the characters the fans want. Thank you Supergirl cast<3.
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10/10
"Sometimes, even though you're Kryptonian... It's okay to be you."
RobinKarlsson2225 August 2021
Supergirl is back and its performance is splendid in every way!

Armen has, as a director, always bringed an distinctive touch and to say the least, singular implementation in his works. "Welcome Back, Kara" is not a exception. Even the first scene you notice Armen's style and overall charm. It's a very clever camera work accomplishment, with Jesse doing his act perfectly as well may i add. The double shots was carried out brilliant, to say the least. And how both the actors and characters performed within their individual location and set design was executed sensationally. It transmitted a diverting mood. Loved how somewhat similar this episode was towards "Ace Reporter ", which Armen of course also directed.

For the cinematography, it was significant in many ways. And then you had the great editing to combine it with. First of all, the cinematography was beautiful and how well it incorporated both shadows and lights. The characters involment was done thoughtfully. Altough the aspect and viewpoint was something standard, they carried on and did the best they could with these particular perspectives. The hair and makeup was elegant, though the costume design did lack my interest. The soundtrack was good and emitted the rightful emotions they aimed for.

Another thing was how well and compelling they did Kara's psyche. It's really one of the most fascinating features of Kara Zor-El, her persona and identity. This episode emits lots of emotion, sentiments to be more exactly and how you can read that between the lines. Interaction is another thing that this episode deals with, and with Kara's psyche be somewhat fragile, it's considerable amount of material that you could use and utilize. Good acting overall, though sometimes i wouldn't mind some improvement. But when it was good it was sumptuous. Every characters motivation is intriguing and it all was set-up excellently. Altogether, they blended humour and sorrow wonderfully, without it being forced in any way. Then on top of that you had everyone's psyche, especially Melissa's and Jason Behr's characters. Wonderfully identity and, in general, existence approach. Thought that Julie Gonzalo's scene as Acrata was done impressively. Loved the set design and the shadows between the glass which had water pouring behind it. It was really striking and eye-catching. Also one of the best part from this episode was just Melissa as Kara. Thought that she performed that role flawlessly if i'm being honest. Gave of an innocent and a delicate side of her that we had never quite seen before, especially on CatCo. The chemistry between Melissa and Jason Behr is quite exceptional. I really am fascinate between theirs authentic attachment. They don't need any words to communicate, their expression is enough. And they exchange their expression exquisitely. Another quite differentiating bond is between Melissa and Staz. They have an innocent and charm that is not like any others. You have the chemistry between Mel and Chyler, the pureness is supreme with them. Then with Mel and Chris you had an dominant passion and compassion like any other. But with Staz it's quite unique for being as sinless and innocent as it is. Charm to say the least.

In conclusion this was a delightful episode and had alluring visuals. And a crucial development for both Melissa and Jason's characters. Although the set-up for potential extension and evolvement was significant. A 9.95/10 does "Welcome Back, Kara" gets!
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10/10
Great
nailzag25 August 2021
I'll give it high rating every time the focus of the episode for around the supergirl, and that's what happened, a great comeback, kara always been between being human and being Kryptonian, so showing her having PTSD reminded me of the reason I've always admired this show, besides, the team is well formed.

P.s the actor who plays kara's father is pretty bad, always seems like he's a villain, or he change in the future? Lame and strange tbh... but still good return to.
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10/10
GOOD ONE WORTH THE 4 MONTH WAIT
illaymelamed26 August 2021
TEAZING A LOT OF THING AND RETURN KARA HOME IN A VERY GOOD WAY AND A VERY COOL ROBOT WAS IN THE EP VERY EMOTINAL ONE AND I DONT WANT THIS SHOW TO END IN THE SHOW FINALE THERE WILL BE VERY EMOTINAL! CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW KARA STORY ENDING VERY GOOD RUTRNING!
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9/10
An emotional episode 😢
tapr-517489 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This was an emotional episode, where all the Superfriends were touched and they acting were pretty amazing. The best of episode the Supercorp hug and Kara's words to Lena. The two actrices are amazing when the been on screen together.
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8/10
I am glad she is back!
pauli_gomez30 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Many things in this episode were great. Normally almost-invulnerable Kara being scared like a little child (with good reason! Trauma is hard). The group working together. Zor-El reactions. Lena and Nia.

That is why I am delighted the show is back!

But the plot of the week was too thin. Everyone wants everything done NOW, Zor-El wants to save the oceans with a finger snap, and that makes sense for his character. What makes no sense is the others agreeing with him, and jumping on a half-cooked plan without a second thought. And Andrea wants her media to raise all the positions and defeat the most popular NYC (Metropolis, I mean) IN A MONTH! Please, writers, try to put some common sense in your stories. You could have done the same with Zor-El beginning his plan and sending the robot without telling the others (as a surprise, perhaps) and Andrea ordering to just begin moving up, not being #1 in a month.

Last, what were those thing doing in Luthor manor, so exposed? That was completely out of place.
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